Various forms of telescopic shock absorbing assemblies are well known. Such shock absorbing assemblies typically include an outer housing and an inner housing arranged in generally coaxial and telescoping relation relative to each other. A spring or other form of pneumatic, fluid, and/or a combined pneumatic/fluid device is typically arranged internally of and in operable combination with the outer and inner housings for absorbing and returning energy imparted to the shock absorbing assembly.
Such telescoping shock absorbing assemblies are commonly used on heavy off-road vehicles and form part of the suspension system for such vehicle. In operation, a clevis is arranged toward an end of each housing for securing the shock absorbing assembly to different structural parts on the vehicle. In such vehicle suspension systems, the outer and inner housings of the shock absorber are each provided with a radial shoulder fixedly secured to and projecting radially outward from the respective housing. As known, the radial shoulders on the housings limit travel of the shock absorbing assembly and thereby protect the spring or other form of pneumatic and/or fluid device internally arranged within the shock absorbing assembly.
The shock absorbing assembly used as part of the suspension system for larger vehicles frequently includes an over-travel cushion or jounce bumper that slides over at least a portion of the shock absorber inner housing and is compressed between the radial shoulders on the outer and inner housings when normal travel of the shock absorber is exceeded. Largely because of the excessive loads applied thereto, these over-travel cushions or jounce bumpers can quickly become damaged during service of the shock absorbing assembly and, in many cases, break-off from about the shock absorbing assembly thereby eliminating any form of over-travel protection for the shock absorbing assembly.
Repair and/or replacement of such conventional over-travel cushions or jounce bumpers, especially when arranged in combination with a shock absorbing assembly used on a large heavy-duty off-road vehicle, is a time consuming and tedious process and cannot be accomplished while the shock absorbing assembly or strut remains on the vehicle. That is, replacement of the over-travel cushions or jounce bumpers requires complete removal of the shock absorbing assembly or strut from the vehicle. Thereafter, the inner and outer housings of the strut need to be axially separated from each other. Of course, and as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, using pneumatics, fluids, and/or a pneumatic/fluid combination as a buffering device for the shock absorbing assembly severely complicates disassembly of the strut and is frequently dissuasive of the issue whether to effect replacement of the over-travel cushions or jounce bumpers.
Following replacement of the over-travel cushions or jounce bumpers, the inner and outer housings of the shock absorbing assembly need to be reassembled relative to each other. In those instances wherein the shock absorbing assembly uses pneumatics, fluids, and/or a pneumatic/fluid combination as a buffering device, and after the housings are reassembled relative to each other, the shock absorbing assembly needs to be again charged with the proper medium to effect the desired ends. Thereafter, the shock absorbing assembly is reinstalled and incorporated into the truck suspension system. Of course, and throughout the duration of this time consuming and tedious process, the vehicle remains out of service. For these and other reasons, and although offering beneficial over-travel protection to the shock absorbing assembly, the known over-travel cushions or jounce bumpers for shock absorbing assemblies are not replaced and/or repaired nearly as much as required or needed.
Thus, there is a need and continuing desire for a telescoping shock absorbing assembly which includes an over-travel cushion or jounce bumper for protecting the shock absorbing assembly or strut and which readily allows for repair and/or replacement of the over-travel cushion or jounce bumper while maintaining the inner and outer housings of the shock absorbing assembly in operable combination relative to each other.